Local Brief
'Burb Bites: Northview Church senior pastor fired
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios; Stock: Getty Images
This week's news from around the region includes the firing of a megachurch pastor, a big data center decision and years of planned park improvements.
⛪ Popular Carmel-based Northview Church has fired senior pastor C.J. Johnson after what church elders described as various concerns during his tenure and an investigation into a significant allegation within the last year.
- In a letter to the congregation, the elders said there were issues with Johnson's leadership style, interpersonal conduct and "the impact those behaviors were having."
- Mark Crull has been named interim senior executive pastor.
- Axios has reached out to Johnson for comment.
☕ Also in Carmel, plans approved three years ago for a new 4,500-square-foot tavern to be built in the Proscenium I near Range Line Road and Carmel Drive have been scrapped.
- Instead, the plan now calls for a Novo Development Group office building with a coffee shop inside.
- No timetable for the new construction has been announced.
🤖 Boone County Commissioners are slated to make a final decision on a proposed one-year moratorium on data center development during their Monday morning meeting.
- The moratorium would block projects in the county's unincorporated areas while giving local leaders time to consider additional data center guidelines.
- It would not affect the $10 billion Meta data center campus being constructed in Lebanon.
🛝 Johnson County Parks and Recreation has released a new five-year master plan with the goal of making upgrades to attract more visitors.
- Some of the upgrades detailed in the capital improvement plan include spending an estimated $2.5 million to upgrade cabins between now and 2028, $2.5 million on a banquet hall in 2027, $1.5 million on arena renovations in 2028, and $200,000 on a skate park in 2030.
- According to the plan, the parks department operates on an annual budget of just over $1.5 million.
🍨 Westfield foodies craving something sweet or savory have reason to celebrate with a pair of new restaurant openings.
- Graeter's Ice Cream opened its newest location (with a drive-thru) Wednesday at 391 E. Tournament Trail.
- On Thursday, Ben's BBQ Shack moved into its new home near Grand Park Sports Campus after closing the smaller shack the business had operated out of for the past five and a half years.
